Susan Beckett

I’m just about positive most of you have heard of the Hatfield-McCoy feud! The conflict began way back in the 1800’s and lasted on and off for nearly 30 years, with 13 family members being killed along the way.

It’s said you can judge a nation by who their heroes are. I believe it. Unfortunately, we are told most of our historical hero’s are outdated and obsolete. Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson, Patrick Henry, and Roosevelt, are just a few of our hero’s who were honored to have had schools named after them, but their names have now been removed and schools renamed.

This past week I received a text from a friend - “Did you hear the news - Betty White just passed away?” We texted back and forth a few times about the passing of this remarkable comedian/actress who was just weeks shy of her 100th birthday. It seems that almost everybody loved Betty. From her work on The Mary Tyler Moore Show to The Golden Girls, Betty was always a hit. She lived an incredible life, working until the end. She once even remarked, “Why retire from something if you’re loving and enjoying it so much? What would I do with myself?” One of her long-time friends even referred to her as a “national treasure.”

Here we are again - another New Year to usher in and along with it the proverbial New Year’s resolutions! The list, of course, is endless and is usually framed around self-improvement— read more books, be a nicer person, exercise, don’t eat so many jelly donuts, etc. But almost 50% of those who make these resolutions break them within the first month. So, this year I’ve decided to stick to making only one new resolution. I’ve determined this year not just to survive but to thrive! That’s my resolution! Thrive!!

Christmas is over, but I bet many of you still have your trees and decorations up! What is it about this year? It’s been a rough one and I, for one, just hate to see the joy and sheer delight of the season come to an end. This Christmas - more than others - has been a wonderful diversion from all the craziness going on! So - just to hang on for one more week, here are some holiday tidbits to extend your season a bit.